Many brides tell me that they go searching online for their dream wedding gown. I always ask them why? The answers are varied, as I wrote yesterday, but cost seems to be a prevailing factor. Online gowns can be hundreds of dollars less than local area boutiques. Or are they?
Consider the following bride and her online bridal gown experience:
The bride walked into a local boutique and found a gown that she fell in love with. When she asked the price of the gown, she figured that she could find it for less somewhere else. She copied the manufacturer name and style number of the dress down (A huge no-no! Brides, this is cheating the boutiques and unethical. Do not do this!), then went looking for the same dress on the Internet.
She found her dress for $329.00 less. She is thinking that this is great and is patting herself on the back for outwitting the local boutique and saving money on her gown, so she places the order.
The gown arrived in a torn box, so now she had to have the dress cleaned.
After the cleaners it was on to find a seamstress for the alterations. What she didn't count on was the elaborate bustle and design of the dress or the beading coming loose in shipment. A wedding gown is not something that can be altered on a whim. It must be fitted exactly, fit again and then a final fitting. Reworking beading takes time and talent. Not everyone wants to tackle wedding gown repairs or alterations, especially if the dress was not purchased in their store! They have their own client's gowns to work on. She finally found someone to alter her gown, but now she is down to the final week. Not only is she stressed beyond imagination but she is in a dispute with the online company because they forgot to include the garter and gloves that she was promised.
Total bill with shipping, cleaning, alterations, new garter and gloves: $477.00 Did she save money?
Now, does not happen every time? No, Some girls actually do fine with their online purchases, but I would not chance the most important clothing purchase that you are going to make to an online company that knows you only as a number.
I will take the cheery greetings, customer service, pampering, free alterations and beautiful extras that boutiques love to throw in simply because they like pleasing their clients and want their business. If you are getting married, savor every exquisite detail. You won't get another chance like this again.
No comments:
Post a Comment